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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28484007">Cold Hands, Warm Heart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mithrilmomo/pseuds/mithrilmomo'>mithrilmomo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aged-Up Character(s), Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Art History, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Matchmaker Piandao, Museums, New Year's Eve, New Years, Oblivious Zuko (Avatar), Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, POV Zuko (Avatar), Romance, Snow, Winter, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 15:49:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,609</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28484007</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mithrilmomo/pseuds/mithrilmomo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>As the fall semester comes to a close, Zuko is shocked when his art history professor assigns him to work on his final project with none other than Sokka, his crush of the past few months. They plan to meet up at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts to work on their assignment. Will Zuko get the courage to confess?  </p>
<p>Or, a self-indulgent Zukka fic with a sprinkling of sweet wintry feels.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>144</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Cold Hands, Warm Heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/ubermensch98/gifts">ubermensch98</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fic is for ubermensch98 as part of the holiday gift exchange! I really hope you like it! </p>
<p>The sculptures I mentioned are currently not on view at the MFA, but they were when I was back in college taking Intro to Art History. (The project Sokka and Zuko are doing is actually based on one of the assignments I did.) You can read about the sculptures here: <a href="https://collections.mfa.org/objects/141967">Lady Sennuwy</a> and <a href="https://collections.mfa.org/objects/151183">Aphrodite</a>.</p>
<p>I was also inspired by the following fanart:</p>
<p><a href="https://buzzhive-art.tumblr.com/post/632782773608906752/modern-au">Zukka Skating</a> by Nelly's Arts and <a href="https://yayee-prsp.tumblr.com/post/634201488559865856">Zukka Selfie</a> by yayee-prsp</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zuko leaned against the museum pillar, sketching absentmindedly in his notebook as he waited for Sokka to show up. He had been dreading this meeting for days. Against all odds, out of all the people in his Intro to Art History course, he had been paired with Sokka, the one guy he had been crushing on for months. While most people would have loved the idea of working on a group project with their crush, Zuko shuddered at the thought. He couldn’t help but think that more time with Sokka would only offer the chance for him to mess things up, say something wrong, and completely embarrass himself.</p>
<p>To try to take his mind off of things, he turned his attention to the sketch in his notebook. It was a male figure, styled like a traditional Greek sculpture. He had been inspired by their project topic. He looked down at the paper to see Sokka staring right back at him. While he was lost in his thoughts, he had unintentionally given the figure Sokka’s face.</p>
<p>“Hey Zuko.”</p>
<p>Zuko nearly dropped his notebook. He jerked up to see Sokka standing right in front of him. He quickly slammed his notebook shut and stuffed it into his messenger bag.</p>
<p>“What’cha drawing?”</p>
<p>“N-nothing!”</p>
<p>“You know you didn’t have to wait outside for me, right? Your nose is all red.”</p>
<p>Zuko blushed and tucked his face behind his scarf. “I like the cold.”</p>
<p>“Suit yourself. Let’s go in.”</p>
<p>Zuko followed Sokka through the museum doors. There were a few people ahead of them in the admissions line. Zuko tried to think of something to fill the silence, but Sokka beat him to it.</p>
<p>“Pretty cool how the MFA offers free tickets for students, huh? </p>
<p>“Yeah. I’ve come here a few times already.”</p>
<p>“Really? You must know the place pretty well. You could be like my tour guide.”</p>
<p>Zuko put his hand behind his neck. “I mean I don’t know everything, but sure.”</p>
<p>“What do you think of Professor Piandao?”</p>
<p>“I like him a lot. I’m planning to take his class on the History of Asian Art next semester.”</p>
<p>“You’re not just taking the intro course for an arts credit?”</p>
<p>“I’m thinking of majoring or minoring in Art History. Not sure which.”</p>
<p>“Oh, then we’ve definitely got this project in the bag!”</p>
<p>It was finally their turn in line. They presented their college IDs to the attendant, who slid two tickets across the desk. As they reached for them simultaneously, their hands brushed against each other. Zuko quickly shoved his hand into his jacket pocket. Sokka seemed to think nothing of it, grabbing a museum map and heading towards the coat check. </p>
<p>Even though Zuko had visited the MFA plenty of times, it never ceased to impress him. The museum had certainly spruced up the place for the holiday season. The main stairs were lined with Christmas trees, wrapped in white lights, the branches hanging with silver and gold ornaments. As they reached the rotunda at the top of the stairs, Zuko drank in the astonished look on Sokka’s face. Sokka spun around, admiring the sculptures in the surrounding alcoves and the designs on the domed ceiling. From Sokka’s comment earlier and his current reaction, Zuko could only assume that he hadn’t been to a lot of museums. Zuko led him towards the “Art of the Ancient World” wing. Soon enough they found one of the two pieces they had to analyze for their project, an ancient Egyptian sculpture of a woman named “Lady Sennuwy.” She was structured and regal, holding a lotus blossom in her right hand, sitting in a detailed throne inscribed with hieroglyphics. Zuko slipped out his notebook, making sure to flip away from his accidental drawing of Sokka, lest he see it. He began scribbling notes about the sculpture’s medium, the figure’s pose, and the garments she was wearing when Sokka posed a question.</p>
<p>“What’s ‘granodiorite’?”</p>
<p>“It’s kind of like granite. It’s used in a lot of ancient Egyptian sculpture.”</p>
<p>“Got it.” Sokka wrote something down in his own notebook. “Hope you don’t mind, I’ll be asking a lot of questions. I’m a little out of my element here.”</p>
<p>“That’s fine, don’t worry about it. What do you study?”</p>
<p>“Mechanical engineering.”</p>
<p>“I see. Yeah that’s pretty different.”</p>
<p>It didn’t take long for Zuko to fill his page with notes. As Sokka continued to jot things down, Zuko turned to a fresh page and began to sketch the sculpture. He felt Sokka peeking over his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Wow, that looks good. Is that part of the assignment?”</p>
<p>“No no, it’s just a habit. My mom and I always used to go to museums and draw together.”</p>
<p>They wandered back towards the Galleries of Greek and Roman Art to find the final sculpture for their project. It didn’t take long before they were standing before a statue of Aphrodite. Her pose was a lot more relaxed and informal, not to mention more revealing. Although the sculpture was carved from marble, the curves visible through her translucent robes were incredibly realistic. After a few moments of writing notes, Sokka spoke up again. </p>
<p>“Do you know why so many Greek and Roman sculptures are missing heads?”</p>
<p>“I’m not sure exactly. The description says that the head and neck were made separately, then put in later. Let’s ask Professor Piandao the next time we’re in class.”</p>
<p>Once they finished up their notes, they started to wander through the museum. They circled around the second floor, passing through the Art of the Americas and into the European wing. Every so often Sokka would ask a question or make a comment, which Zuko would answer enthusiastically. It was nice to see someone so curious about one of his passions. As they passed by Gallery 260, Zuko paused for a moment. It was a room that was all too familiar to him.</p>
<p>“Do you mind if we stop here?”</p>
<p>Sokka shrugged and followed Zuko into the room. It was entirely dedicated to Impressionist artwork. Zuko simply walked to the center and sat down on the bench. Thankfully there was enough room for both of them. They sat in silence for a few minutes, occasionally turning to get a full view of the paintings in the room. They were mostly landscapes, the majority of which were painted by Monet. It was quite relaxing, gazing at the details within each painting, surrounded by the hum of visitors shuffling through the room. </p>
<p>“So is Impressionism your favorite or something?”</p>
<p>“Not really, but it was my mother’s. She loved Monet.”</p>
<p>“Loved? As in past-tense? You mean she…”</p>
<p>“She’s not dead. At least, I don’t think so. She disappeared when I was eleven.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry to hear that.”</p>
<p>“I’ve come to terms with it. As much as I can, really. She was a museum curator. She always took me with her. Coming here...it makes me feel closer to her somehow. I can’t really explain it.”</p>
<p>“You don’t have to.” Sokka sighed. “I also lost my mother at a young age.”<br/>
“I’m so sorry. What happened?”</p>
<p>“Car accident. Hit and run. She was just driving to pick up me and my sister from school. It came out of nowhere. My sister Katara was able to get a look at him before he ran off, but we still have never found the guy. I was only ten at the time.”</p>
<p>“That’s awful.”<br/>
“Katara is still looking for him. She’s certain that the accident was deliberate. I’ve tried to let go, but it’s not easy.”</p>
<p>Zuko placed a tentative hand on Sokka’s forearm. It rested there for a few moments, as the two made eye contact. A mutual understanding drifted between them, completely unsaid.</p>
<p>The two sat in silence for some time. </p>
<p>Zuko shuffled in his seat. “You thirsty?”</p>
<p>“I could go for a hot chocolate.”</p>
<p>“This way.”</p>
<p>Zuko guided Sokka through the halls, past a ballerina sculpture by Degas, and down a staircase into the Contemporary Art wing. There was a small café right next to a bookstore. They ordered their drinks and sat down at one of the tables.</p>
<p>Sokka took a sip of his hot chocolate. “So are you from Boston? Is that why you know the MFA so well?”</p>
<p>“No, I’m from L.A.”</p>
<p>“Wow you’re far from home. I can relate.”</p>
<p>“Are you also from the west coast?”</p>
<p>“In a sense. I’m from Vancouver.”</p>
<p>“You’re Canadian? No way. What brought you here?”</p>
<p>“Got a full ride for my engineering program. What about you?”</p>
<p>“Just needed to get away from some things. Or some <em> one </em>, rather.”</p>
<p>“Who’s that?”</p>
<p>“My dad. He’s a bigshot lawyer back in L.A. Probably the worst parent you could ever ask for.”</p>
<p>“Sorry to hear that.”</p>
<p>“My sister Azula would deny it. He worships her. She’s at Harvard law. He’s grooming her to take over the firm.”</p>
<p>“I’ve heard about her...isn’t she friends with Mai and Ty Lee?”</p>
<p>“That’s her.”</p>
<p>“Hey Zuko...I’ve been meaning to ask, and if it’s totally inappropriate we can totally drop it. But I’m curious. How did you get your scar?”</p>
<p>Zuko paused, raising a hand to lightly brush his face. “It’s ok. It’s actually not unrelated to what we were talking about.”</p>
<p>“Don’t tell me Azula gave you that scar.”</p>
<p>“No...my dad did. At least, I think so.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“That whole part of my childhood is really fuzzy. I’ve repressed most of it. When I was thirteen, my dad brought Azula and I to his office for ‘Take Your Child to Work Day.’ He was having a board meeting with some of the other lawyers. Beforehand my dad told us to keep our mouths shut. But I couldn’t help it. I spoke out of turn during the meeting. I can’t remember exactly what I said. I think I was rejecting their decision to reduce the pay for their employees. That night, I was in the kitchen with my dad, next to the stove. I blacked out and the next morning, I woke up in the hospital with this burn scar.”</p>
<p>“Damn...I can see why you wanted to get as far from L.A. as possible. That guy sounds awful.”</p>
<p>“He’s a real piece of work.”</p>
<p>“Well I’m glad you’re here and away from all of that.”</p>
<p>Sokka placed his hand on Zuko’s, which was resting on the café table. Sokka gave him a soft smile. He couldn’t help but offer one back.</p>
<p>“Hey Zuko... I don’t really feel like going back to campus just yet. Do you?”</p>
<p>“No, not really.” Zuko wasn’t looking forward to waiting in the cold for the unreliable university shuttle. Not to mention that he had had a great afternoon with Sokka and didn’t want their time together to end.</p>
<p>“Here, let me take you to my favorite noodle place in Chinatown. My treat. Consider it an apology gift in return for having to put up with me all afternoon.”</p>
<p>“What? I had no problem…”</p>
<p>“Shh. Just let me buy you dinner. Come on.”</p>
<p>Sokka gestured for Zuko to follow him. He walked behind him reluctantly as they exited out the main doors of the museum. Did Sokka just ask him out on a date? He certainly hoped so. Now that he thought about it, their afternoon seemed quite date-like, looking at artwork together, getting drinks at the café…</p>
<p>His thoughts were interrupted as Sokka turned right, heading towards the MFA green line stop.</p>
<p>Zuko spoke up. “Hey if we’re going to Chinatown, shouldn’t we take the orange line?” He had memorized most of the T map before he moved to Boston.</p>
<p>Sokka turned around to face Zuko, walking backwards on the sidewalk.</p>
<p>“Yeah...but I want to take you somewhere else first.”</p>
<p>“Oh? Where’s that?” </p>
<p>“Shouldn’t be long. Do you trust me?”</p>
<p>Sokka had a mischievous look in his eyes. It was hard to resist.</p>
<p>“No...but this seems too interesting to pass up. Let’s go.”</p>
<p>It didn’t take long for the train to roll into the green line stop. The car was pretty packed, requiring the two of them to hold on to the same subway pole. To avoid any awkward conversation, Zuko pulled his headphones out of his messenger bag and hit shuffle on one of his playlists. He heard a familiar guitar riff echo through his ears, the beginning to “Saudade” by Love and Rockets. He had listened to it before while he was studying, often leaving it on repeat. It was one of those songs that was well-suited for that. It helped distract him from all of the nervous energy he was feeling from standing next to Sokka. It was the perfect accompaniment to the image of the hushed Boston evening outside the subway windows. Zuko preferred how the green line cars offered a view outside. He hated the claustrophobic feeling of the constant underground tunnels. The city passed by slowly, already dark despite it not even being that late in the evening, everything illuminated by gorgeous holiday lights that covered most of the buildings and trees. Zuko thought he saw the beginnings of snowfall, but he wasn’t sure. About thirty seconds into the song, Zuko felt one of the earbuds fall free of his ear. As he turned to retrieve it, he saw Sokka placing it into his own ear, their faces now inches apart. Zuko immediately blushed, panicked thoughts racing through his mind. Only Sokka would do something so bold. They stood together in silence, their bodies bobbing with the movements of the car. Zuko glanced at Sokka from the corner of his eye to see his head nodding to the music. Apparently he was enjoying it. That was a relief. Zuko set the song to repeat. He didn’t feel confident enough to choose something else. He also figured that Sokka probably wouldn’t notice. </p>
<p>He closed his eyes in an attempt to shield himself from the embarrassment. He tried to ignore his own heartbeat in his ears and focus on the music. The constant repetition of the guitar was dotted with a sound that he could only describe as soft fireworks. He often tried to find something to compare the song to, but he couldn’t set his mind on anything in particular. It made him think of falling stars, looking out an airplane window, a chill drug trip, cascading waves, or birds dipping and rising mid-flight. He attempted to distract himself and get caught in the music, like how he did when he listened to this song while studying. But as much as he tried, he couldn’t stop thinking about the man standing next to him. Although the only thing connecting them was a thin headphone cord, the interaction was surprisingly intimate. They weren’t even physically touching - their hands were just a few inches apart on the subway pole. But this moment felt even more intense than anything between them before, more than the time Sokka tapped his shoulder in class to ask a question, more than their hands accidentally touching as they both simultaneously reached for the museum tickets at the admissions desk, more than Sokka’s hand resting on his as they sat in the café. Zuko couldn’t ignore all of the feelings that had been building up over the past few months. Strangely enough, it had all started when Sokka took the stage at an open-mic event on campus, engaging in a “haiku off” with one of the creative writing majors in the crowd. He hadn’t won, in fact his poems were quite awful, but they were incredibly funny. Zuko had been immediately charmed by Sokka’s confidence and humor. All this time he had been crushing on Sokka, and now that he was reciprocating with all of these little interactions (hell, even offering to buy him dinner), he didn’t know how to feel or what to do. He was nervous, that’s for sure, but also excited and extremely curious about the mysterious place Sokka was taking him before dinner.</p>
<p>Zuko felt a tug at his sleeve and opened his eyes. Sokka was in front of him, his hand outstretched and offering back his earbud. </p>
<p>“We’re getting off soon.”</p>
<p>Zuko nodded, pausing his music and stuffing his headphones back into his bag.</p>
<p>“Cool music by the way. That was a pretty long song, but I liked it.”</p>
<p>“Thanks.” </p>
<p>Zuko was right. Sokka hadn’t noticed that he had set the song to repeat. Maybe he would tell him later. Or maybe not.</p>
<p>As the car pulled into the Park Street stop, Sokka gestured for Zuko to follow him. Zuko felt instant relief as the cool night air hit his face. He hoped it would cancel out the perpetual blush he seemed to have around Sokka. His breath puffed out in front of him, the air much colder now that the sun had set. Zuko’s suspicion from earlier had been confirmed - snow had begun to softly fall on the sidewalk. He looked around and noticed a surprising amount of greenery. Sokka had taken him to Boston Common. Did he want to go for a walk? Or perhaps take him someplace special in the park? And what did he plan for them to do there?</p>
<p>“This way.”</p>
<p>Zuko walked alongside Sokka as they headed down the path. He couldn’t help but glance down at Sokka’s hand, imagining reaching out his own to hold it as they walked. He pushed the thought aside. He was probably just misinterpreting all of the signs Sokka was giving him. He shoved his hands into his coat pockets and continued on.</p>
<p>Eventually they came across what Zuko could only assume as Sokka’s secret destination. It was the Boston Common Frog Pond, frozen solid and filled with skaters gliding around the perimeter. The overhanging trees were covered in colorful lights while pleasant holiday music played from hidden speakers.</p>
<p>“Surprise!”</p>
<p>“I don’t know, Sokka. I’m no good at skating…”</p>
<p>“Come on, Zuko! It’ll be fun! I’ll be right by your side the whole time.”</p>
<p>Well with that kind of offer, Zuko couldn’t refuse. </p>
<p>Zuko slipped on his skates and placed a foot tentatively on the ice. He had only done this a few times before. There weren’t a lot of ice skating rinks back home. He regretted agreeing to this. He was certainly going to fall and embarrass himself in front of everyone. But he would feel bad refusing to skate, especially since it would make Sokka happy. So he placed both feet on the ice, anchoring himself on the wall surrounding the rink. He slowly pulled himself along the wall, legs shaking as he struggled to keep his footing. He glanced up to see Sokka ahead of him, gliding along the ice as easily as walking. Sokka sped up and circled towards the center of the rink, which was mostly unoccupied. He leaped into the air and spun, landing gracefully back on the ice. Zuko looked at him in awe, feeling quite inferior as his fingers clenched the rink wall. Then again, maybe Sokka did that trick to impress him? His heart began to beat faster as Sokka skated back towards him.</p>
<p>“Did you see that? What do you think?”</p>
<p>“You’re really talented. I can’t imagine ever being able to do that.”<br/>
“I’m sure I can teach you someday. First, how about you let go of that wall?”<br/>
It was now or never. Zuko wasn’t going to get very far if he kept holding on. He released his grip and pushed himself along the ice, wobbling all the way.</p>
<p>“That’s a start. How about you hold my arm for balance?”</p>
<p>There was no way he could say no to that. Zuko reached out to hold Sokka’s arm with one hand. As they glided forward a few feet, he could feel himself almost slip. He moved a second hand onto Sokka’s arm to support himself. He could feel Sokka’s arm muscles, even through his jacket. Zuko buried his nose behind his scarf to hide his blush. Thankfully, Sokka wasn’t making fun of him for his lack of experience. He simply helped him drift across the ice, not moving too fast. After some time Zuko got used to the feeling and swiped his feet a little more easily across the rink. </p>
<p>“Do you skate a lot?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. My childhood home had a lake in the backyard that froze over every winter. We used to live a lot farther north, where it was much colder than Vancouver. Katara and I skated on that lake all the time as kids. Eventually we got so good at it that my dad started paying for lessons. I assume you haven’t skated much?”</p>
<p>“No. All the rinks back home are indoors. Never really got into it.”</p>
<p>“Well I’m glad you got to try it with me!”</p>
<p>Zuko beamed up at him. He got so distracted by the sweet look on Sokka’s face that he didn’t pay attention to the placement of his right foot. He moved it a little too fast, missing the ground entirely and making him lose his footing. As he fell backwards, he cursed himself for agreeing to do this. His worst worry was about to become reality. As he closed his eyes and anticipated the impact of the ice, cold and hard against his back, he was surprised by the sudden feeling of two strong hands grabbing his waist. He opened his eyes to see Sokka looking down at him, a look of worry on his face. Zuko gulped.</p>
<p>“That was a close one. You ok?”</p>
<p>Zuko nodded as Sokka pulled him back up. He helped him keep moving across the ice, allowing Zuko to cling to his arm the whole time. Thankfully, Sokka didn’t seem to mind. There were a few more slips along the way, but none of them were as big as the one before. They continued on in silence, allowing the cheesy Christmas music to fill the void of conversation. Zuko drank in the scenery: the glittering holiday lights, the pleased looks on the faces of the surrounding skaters, the soft beginnings of snowfall cascading down on the rink. His mind kept drifting back to moments ago. Zuko couldn’t believe that Sokka had caught him. It was an incredibly romantic gesture, the kind you only seem to see in rom coms. And it had happened to him of all people. He kept reliving the moment in his head, remembering the comforting feeling of Sokka’s hands supporting his weight and the tender look of concern looking down at him. It only made his crush for Sokka grow stronger.</p>
<p>As they looped towards the gate again, Sokka began to slow down. </p>
<p>“Hey I’m getting pretty hungry. Want to go get dinner?”</p>
<p>Zuko could have stayed on the rink holding on to Sokka for hours. But it was getting pretty cold and his stomach was grumbling too. He nodded and followed Sokka off the rink, feeling a slight pang of sadness as he let go of Sokka’s arm. By the time they had returned their skates and headed back towards the T stop, the snow had gotten pretty thick. Zuko looked up, admiring how the holiday lights illuminated the snowfall.</p>
<p>“Can we wait a moment?”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Just want to look at the snow before we have to go back down in the subway.”</p>
<p>Sokka nodded as Zuko walked off the path and leaned against a tree. Sokka mirrored him. The crowd had begun to thin as the weather worsened. Mostly everyone had ran off to the subway or one of the nearby restaurants. The setting sun cast the park in a gentle shade of blue, dotted with yellow holiday lights. Their breath puffed out in front of them as their jackets became covered in white specks.  </p>
<p>Sokka broke the silence. “You don’t see snow a lot, huh?”</p>
<p>“No. It doesn’t snow back home.”</p>
<p>“You’d think that I’d get sick of it, seeing it so much. But some things, the more time you spend around them, the more they grow on you.”</p>
<p>Zuko turned his head towards Sokka. They held eye contact for a lot longer than Zuko expected. Was Sokka talking about him? Zuko’s face began to flush again. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the dropping temperature or the way Sokka was looking at him. Scratch that. It was definitely because of him. Sokka’s gaze was intense, his eyes dropping for a moment. Was he looking at Zuko’s lips? He certainly hoped so. What if he leaned forward, just a little more? Zuko was dying to kiss him. But doing that would require a level of boldness that Zuko simply didn’t have. Not yet, anyway. He decided to change the subject.</p>
<p>“Are you ready to go get dinner?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Let’s go.” Was that a sigh of disappointment? Zuko wasn’t really sure.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> - One Month Later - </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zuko took a swig of his drink. It was some kind of vodka juice concoction that Katara made for him, iced, the flavor too sweet to actually taste any of the alcohol. He was already buzzed and was thankful for it. He had been invited to a New Year’s Party at Ty Lee’s apartment in the city, along with a handful of the other students that were stranded on campus for winter break. Zuko could have easily flown back to L.A. for the holidays. His sister Azula had left on the earliest flight possible. Part of the reason Zuko had chosen a school on the other side of the country was to stay as far away from his family as he could. So he was happy to remain on campus, no matter how abandoned it was. He had attended Ty Lee’s party because there wasn’t anything else to do and he figured a little human interaction would do him good. Well, there was that, and one other reason.</p>
<p>Zuko glanced across the room. Sokka was making a fool of himself playing charades with the group. He was articulating wildly, his eyes bulging, loud snorts coming out of his nose. Zuko had already guessed who Sokka was imitating, but he didn’t want to say it aloud. He was relishing the comedic gold that was Sokka.</p>
<p>Aang raised his hand. “Let me guess. Are you a monkey?”</p>
<p>Sokka shook his head.</p>
<p>“I’m stumped. Anyone else have an idea?”</p>
<p>The group murmured among themselves. It was pretty clear no one was going to guess it. Zuko stepped forward.</p>
<p>“I think you’re Professor Bumi.”</p>
<p>As Sokka nodded ecstatically, the group cheered and let out a chorus of “Oh I should have known!” Professor Bumi was part of the physics department and was one of the most eccentric professors on campus. His terrible puns and dramatic presentations were known by nearly the entire student body. Zuko felt a pang of warmth as Sokka made eye contact with him, seeming to be thankful that someone was able to guess his act. The game of charades fizzled out after that as people wandered off to refill their drinks and go outside to smoke. It seemed that no one wanted to follow up Sokka’s incredible performance. Zuko remained on the periphery, nursing his drink and observing the group.</p>
<p>Soon enough, Ty Lee turned the TV to a news channel, filling the screen with the Times Square New Year’s celebration. It was only ten minutes to midnight. Zuko’s gaze wandered back towards Sokka, who was sitting next to Ty Lee on the couch. They were drinking and chatting politely, until Ty Lee’s hand drifted to rest on Sokka’s forearm. Zuko gulped. Everyone knew that Ty Lee was interested in Sokka. She flirted with him a lot and often brought him up in conversation. But the ball was going to drop in less than ten minutes, and the thought of Sokka sharing his New Year’s kiss with someone else made Zuko boil. He had to do something.</p>
<p>Zuko crumpled up his empty red solo cup and tossed it in the trash. He walked up to Sokka and tapped his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Hey.”</p>
<p>As Sokka glanced up, his expression immediately brightened. Ty Lee’s did the opposite.</p>
<p>“Wanna get some fresh air?”</p>
<p>“I’d like that.” As Ty Lee crossed her arms over her chest, Sokka pushed himself off the couch and followed Zuko towards the front door. When they grabbed their jackets from the coat rack, Zuko panicked for a second. He hadn’t thought this far ahead. Where should he take him? Standing outside by the road wouldn’t be very romantic. As they walked out of Ty Lee’s apartment, Zuko glanced to the stairwell at the end of the hall. That gave him an idea.</p>
<p>“Follow me.”</p>
<p>“Where are we going?”</p>
<p>Zuko turned around and smirked. “Do you trust me?” Sokka smiled back at him.</p>
<p>Zuko pushed the stairwell door open and started climbing. Thankfully, Ty Lee’s apartment was pretty high up and it didn’t take long for them to reach the top. Zuko’s heart beat fast as he put his hand on the door to the rooftop. What if it wasn’t open? That would ruin everything. He would likely be spending the beginning of the new year in the stuffy stairwell. He pushed on the door. Miraculously, it creaked open. The two stepped onto the rooftop of the apartment building, empty and cold in the winter evening. They walked towards the edge, leaning against the railing, the Boston skyline sparkling before them. They simply stood in silence for a moment, drinking in the muffled sounds of drunk people reveling in the apartment balconies and the hum of cars moving on the street below.</p>
<p>“Hey, thanks for saving me from Ty Lee.”</p>
<p>“Oh...no problem.”</p>
<p>“I’ve been trying to give her subtle hints all semester that I’m not interested, but she doesn’t seem to get it.” He took in a deep breath, his exhale visible in the cold. “This is nice. I needed this.”</p>
<p>“Me too.”</p>
<p>Despite the sharp wind, Zuko didn’t feel cold. He was still a little tipsy. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was just how he always seemed to feel around Sokka. A question slipped through his lips before he had the chance to stop himself. </p>
<p>“So are you interested in someone else?” </p>
<p>“Oh…” Sokka rubbed his hands against each other to warm them. “I am actually.”</p>
<p>“Is it Yue?”</p>
<p>Sokka laughed. “No, that ended a while ago.”</p>
<p>“Suki?”</p>
<p>“That didn’t work out either.”</p>
<p>“Well who is it?”</p>
<p>Sokka opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a sudden sound. It was the roar of celebration as the clock struck midnight, welcoming the new year. Open windows let the cheers of partygoers echo through the alleyways. Cars honked on the streets below. In the distance, fireworks burst over the Charles River, exploding in the sky and slowly cascading down towards the water in sparks of red and blue. By the time Zuko turned back to face Sokka, the space between them had diminished. Zuko could even feel Sokka’s breath on his face. Sokka looked down at him, his eyes intense. He whispered a single word.</p>
<p>“You.” </p>
<p>That was all that Zuko needed. He grabbed the collar of Sokka’s jacket and pulled him forward. As soon as their lips touched, Zuko felt instant relief. After months and months of pining after Sokka, he finally learned that he liked him too. As Zuko wrapped his arms beneath Sokka’s and rested them on his back, Sokka trailed his hands towards the back of Zuko’s neck. Sokka’s lips were soft and warm and it probably felt so amazing because of <em> feelings </em>but Zuko didn’t really care to think about that right now. All he wanted to focus on was the tongue sliding into his mouth and Sokka’s hands gripping his hair and the secure feeling he felt from being pressed against him. As they broke apart to catch their breath, Zuko’s eyes remained closed for a few moments. He needed a second to process what happened, to really believe it. Would Sokka still be there when he opened his eyes? Or would it all be a dream?</p>
<p>As another firework set off, Zuko opened his eyes. He marveled at Sokka’s face, illuminated by the bright colors of the fireworks in the distance.</p>
<p>“Sokka...I’ve had a crush on you for so long.”</p>
<p>“Trust me, I know.”</p>
<p>“Was I that obvious?”</p>
<p>“Absolutely. That day we went to the MFA together...I thought I made it clear that I liked you too.”</p>
<p>“Sorry, I’m too oblivious for my own good.”</p>
<p>Sokka squeezed Zuko’s shoulder lightly. “But I bought you dinner!”</p>
<p>“I know, I know. I thought it was too good to be true.”</p>
<p>“Come here, you.”</p>
<p>Sokka pulled Zuko into another kiss, this one more intense than the last. Zuko could feel snow begin to fall, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was Sokka. The night air was cold but he felt a surge of warmth surge through him as the two of them embraced. Everything had been building up to this, the passing interactions in class that had slowly but surely developed into romance. He had wanted this for so long. Now it was really happening. And it felt so good. They separated a few minutes later, and looked out at the city before them. A sudden chill forced Sokka to stuff his hands in his jacket pockets. Zuko slipped in his hand to grasp Sokka’s, giving it a squeeze. As they stood on the rooftop, hands intertwined, the surrounding rooftops slowly beginning to turn white, Zuko glanced over at Sokka and grinned. He couldn’t wait to see what the new year brought for them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Visit me on <a href="https://mithrilmomo.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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